THE VIGNELLI CANON
THE VIGNELLI CANON
Massimo Vignelli
We thank our friend Sheila Hicks This book is affectionately dedicated to Lella,
for her assistance in editing of the text. my wife and professional partner.
Together we shared our intellectual experiences
Book design:
Massimo Vignelli with Beatriz Cifuentes and growing process from the very beginning
of our professional lives.
Her creative intuition and sharp criticism
have enriched my life and have been
the structural strength of our collaboration,
without which my work would have been
worth much less.
4
Josheph Müller-Br
Introduction At the request of the publisher of this book
I started to look in to the meaning of such a
publication and recognized that it could become
a useful instrument for a better understanding
ock
of typography in Graphic Design. This little book
mann
reveals our guidelines - those set by ourselves
for ourselves.
In several teaching situations I remarked the lack
of some basic typographic principles in young
designers. I thought that it might be useful to pass
some of my professional knowledge around, with
the hope of improving their design skills.
Creativity needs the support of knowledge to be
able to perform at its best.
Gene Fe
It is not the intention of this little book to stifle
creativity or to reduce it to a bunch of rules.
der
It is not the formula that prevents good design
ico
Willy
from happening but lack of knowledge of the
F
complexity of the Design profession. It’s up to the
Alan Fletcher
leckh
brain to use the proper formula to achieve the
aus
desired result.
With great pleasure I look back to all the moments
when I learned something new in typography,
either from a Master or from fellow practitioners.
To have learned about disciplined design from
my Swiss fellows, to have learned about the white
space from my American fellows, to have learned
Alan Fletch
about the forceful impact of type from my German
fellows, to have learned about wit from my
English fellows, and then even more from fellows
er
everywhere.
That beautiful feeling of enrichment that comes
from new discoveries, new ways of doing the same
thing better than before.
It is my hope that this book may provide that
feeling, or in any case confirm and reaffirm
those guidelines that we designers love to set
for ourselves.
6
Part One Semantics
The Intangibles Syntactics
Pragmatics
Discipline
Appropriateness
Ambiguity
Design is One
Visual Power
Intellectual Elegance
Timelessness
Responsibility
Equity
8
Semantics I have always said that there are three aspects in the semantic search through a complex process,
Design that are important to me: most of which is intuitive, to infuse the design with
Semantic, Syntactic and Pragmatic. all the required cognitive inputs, effortlessly and
in the most natural way possible. It is as in music,
Let’s examine them one at the time. when we hear the final sound, without knowing
Semantics, for me, is the search of the meaning of all the processes through which the composer
whatever we have to design. has gone before reaching the final result. Design
The very first thing that I do whenever I start a without semantics is shallow and meaningless
new assignment in any form of design, graphic, but, unfortunately it is also ubiquitous, and that
product, exhibition or interior is to search for is why it is so important that young designers
the meaning of it. That may start with research train themselves to start the design process in the
on the history of the subject to better understand correct way- the only way that can most enrich
the nature of the project and to find the most their design.
appropriate direction for the development Semantics, in design, means to understand the
of a new design. subject in all its aspects; to relate the subject to
Depending on the subject the search can take the sender and the receiver in such a way that it
many directions. It could be a search for more makes sense to both. It means to design something
information about the Company, the Product, that has a meaning, that is not arbitrary, that
the Market Position of the subject, the has a reason for being, something in which every
Competition, its Destination, the final user, or detail carries the meaning or has a precise purpose
indeed, about the real meaning of the subject and aimed at a precise target. How often we see design
its semantic roots. that has no meaning: stripes and swash of color
It is extremely important for a satisfactory result splashed across pages for no reason whatsoever.
of any design to spend time on the search of the Well, they are either meaningless or incredibly
accurate and essential meanings, investigate vulgar or criminal when done on purpose.
their complexities, learn about their ambiguities, Unfortunately, there are designers and marketing
understand the context of use to better define the people who intentionally look down on the
parameters within which we will have to operate. consumer with the notion that vulgarity has
In addition to that it is useful to follow our a definite appeal to the masses, and therefore
intuition and our diagnostic ability to funnel the they supply the market with a continuos flow of
research and arrive to a rather conscious definition crude and vulgar design. I consider this action
of the problem at hand. criminal since it is producing visual pollution that
Semantics are what will provide the real bases is degrading our environment just like all other
for a correct inception of projects, regardless of types of pollution. Not all forms of vernacular
what they may be. Semantics eventually become communication are necessarily vulgar, although
an essential part of the designer’s being, a crucial very often that is the case. Vulgarity implies a
component of the natural process of design, and blatant intention of a form of expression that
the obvious point of departure for designing. purposely ignores and bypasses any form of
Semantics will also indicate the most appropriate established culture. In our contemporary world
form for that particular subject that we can it becomes increasingly more difficult to find
interpret or transform according to our intentions. honest forms of vernacular communication as
10 However, it is important to distill the essence of once existed in the pre-industrial world.
W
W
W
R
R
R
N
N W
N WR 6
4 5
4 5 6
R5
4N6 W
Syntactics
N
Mies, my great mentor said: “God is in the details.”
5
4R 6
New York City Subway Diagram 2008
4 5N6
4 5 6
2
2
2
That is the essence of syntax: the discipline
E
E 2
E 2
E 2
E W
R E
N
4 5 6
How to use this Diagram Free Transfer Station Inwood/207 St, Manhattan to Ozone Pk-Lefferts Blvd or Far Rockaway, Queens Astoria/Ditmars Blvd, Queens to Whitehall St, Manhattan Van Cortland Park/242 St, Bronx to South Ferry, Manhattan
A W 1
W
This diagram represents all lines and stations of the New York City Subway system. R Express in Manhattan and Brooklyn; Local in Queens Local Local
that controls the proper use of grammar in the
It is not a geographical map: relative distances have been altered in favor of better legibility. N Rush Hours: Serves Rockaway Park, Queens; Late Nights: Local Weeknights after 9pm, Late Nights and Weekends: No service
4 5 6
However, attention has been given to preserve the relative position of each station.
Each route is represented by a colored line labeled with a letter or number at either end, Pedestrian Link Washington Heights/168 St, Manhattan to Euclid Ave, Brooklyn Astoria/Ditmars Blvd, Queens to Coney Island, Brooklyn Wakefield/241 St, Bronx to Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
and at intervals in between. 2 C Local
Late Nights: No service
N Local in Queens; Express in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Late Nights: Local in Manhattan and Brooklyn
2 Express in Manhattan; Local in Bronx and Brooklyn
Late Nights: Wakefield/241 St, Bronx to Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
Stations on each line are indicated by dots. Free transfers can be made between E Weekends: Local in Manhattan
adjacent dots at the same station or between stations connected by pedestrian links. FG
FG
FG
construction of phrases and the articulation of a
Local lines show dots at all stations; express lines show dots only at express stations. Terminal Station Jamaica Center, Queens to World Trade Center, Manhattan Midtown-57 St/7 Ave, Manhattan to Coney Island, Brooklyn Harlem/148 St, Manhattan to New Lots Ave, Brooklyn
E Q 3
FG
A solid dot indicates that trains will always stop; no dot indicates that trains will never stop; FG Express in Queens, Local in Manhattan Express in Manhattan; Local in Brooklyn Express in Manhattan, Local in Brooklyn
2
a hollow dot indicates that trains will only stop outside of rush hours. FG Late Nights: Local Late Nights: No service
E
This diagram is not an official publication of the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Part Time Service 145 St, Manhattan to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn Forest Hills/57 Ave, Queens to Bay Ridge/95 St, Brooklyn Woodlawn, Bronx to Crown Heights/Utica Ave, Brooklyn
Stop is skipped during rush hours, peak direction only
B Local in upper Manhattan; Express in midtown Manhattan and Brooklyn
Rush Hours: Bedford Park Blvd, Bronx to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
R Local
Late Nights: 36 St to Bay Ridge/95 St, Brooklyn
4 Local in Bronx; Express in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Late Nights: Woodlawn, Bronx to New Lots Ave Brooklyn, Local
Part Time Extension Weeknights after 9 pm and Weekends: No service
language, Design. The syntax of design is provided
Line is extended during certain hours
Norwood-205 St, Bronx to Coney Island, Brooklyn 8 Ave, Manhattan to Canarsie/Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn Dyre Ave, Bronx to Bowling Green, Manhattan; Local in Bronx, Express in Manhattan
D L 5
51 St
51 St
LexSt
51 Ave
Lex Ave Local Station Local in Bronx, Express in Manhattan and Brooklyn Local Rush Hours: Nereid Ave or Dyre Ave, Bronx to Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn;
Lex Ave St
51 Light type Rush Hours: Express in Bronx (peak direction only) Express in Brooklyn; Express in Bronx, peak direction only
51 St Ave
Lex
FLex Ave 51 St
G Late Nights: Dyre Ave. to E180 St, Bronx; Local
42 St
42 St Express Station
Lex Ave
42 St
6 Ave
6 Ave Bold type Jamaica/179 St, Queens to Coney Island, Brooklyn Jamaica Center, Queens to Broad St, Manhattan Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester, Bronx to Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan
F J 6
6 Ave 42 St
42 St
6 Ave Local in Manhattan and Brooklyn Local Local
by many components in the nature of the project.
6 Ave 42 Wheelchair Accessible Station
St Express, Forest Hills /71 Ave to 21 St/Queensbridge, Queens Rush Hours: Express Myrtle Ave to Marcy Ave, peak direction only Rush Hours: Express in Bronx, to Pelham Bay Park, peak direction only
6 Ave Weekends: Jamaica Center, Queens to Chambers St, Manhattan
FG
Wheelchair Accessible Station
Access downtown or uptown only Forest Hill/71 Ave, Queens to Lower East Side/2 Ave, Manhattan Jamaica Center, Queens to Broad St, Manhattan Flushing/Main St, Queens to Times Square, Manhattan
V Local
Late Nights and Weekends: No service
Z Local in Manhattan; Express in Queens
Service only at Rush Hours
7 Local
Regular service: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, Monday – Friday
Rush Hours: 6:30 am – 9:30 am, 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Monday – Friday
51 Evenings: 8:00 pm – 12:00 am, Monday – Friday Long Island City/Court Square, Queens to Smith St/9 St, Brooklyn Metropolitan Ave, Queens to Chamber St, Manhattan; Local Times Square to Grand Central, Manhattan
In graphic design, for instance, they are the overall
St
Lex Ave
Late Nights: 12:00 am – 6:30 am, Every day
Weekends: 6:30 am – 12 am, Saturday – Sunday
G Local
Evenings, Late Nights and Weekends:
M Rush Hours: Metropolitan Ave, Queens to Bay Parkway, Brooklyn
Evenings, Late Nights and Weekends:
S Local
Late Nights: No service
Forest Hills/71 Ave, Queens to Smith St/9 St, Brooklyn Metropolitan Ave, Queens to Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn
42 St
6 Ave
51 St Broad Channel, Queens to Rockaway Park/Beach 116 St, Queens Franklin Ave to Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Lex Ave
S Local
S Local
structure, the grid, the typefaces, the text and
42 St
6 Ave
headlines, the illustrations, etc. The consistency of Wakefield-241 St
White Plains Rd 2
Nereid Ave-238 St
White Plains Rd 5
Eastchester
5 Dyre Ave
233 St
a design is provided by the appropriate relationship
233 St
White Plains Rd
242 St
1 Van Cortland Park
Woodlawn 225 St Baychester Ave
4 Jerome Ave White Plains Rd Tolliston Ave
238 St
Bway
219 St
White Plains Rd
231 St
of the various syntactical elements of the project:
Bway
Mosholu Pkwy D Gun Hill Rd Gun Hill Rd
Jerome Ave Norwood White Plains Rd Seymour Ave
Marble Hill-225 St 205 St Pelham Bay Park
Bway Westchester Ave
6
Burke Ave
White Plains Rd Buhre Ave
Bedford Park Blvd Bedford Park Blvd Westchester Ave
The Bronx
Jerome Ave B Grand Concourse
Lehman College Allerton Ave Middletown Rd
White Plains Rd Westchester Ave
how type relates to grids and images from page
Westchester Sq
215 St Kingsbridge Rd Kingsbridge Rd Pellham Pkwy Pelham Pkwy East Tremont Ave
10 Ave Jerome Ave Grand Concourse White Plains Rd Williamsbridge Rd
Zerega Ave
Westchester Ave
Inwood 207 St Fordham Rd Fordham Rd Bronx Park East Morris Park
207 St -Bway A 10 Ave Jerome Ave Grand Concourse White Plains Rd Esplanade Castle Hill Ave
Westchester Ave
Dyckman St Dyckman St 183 St 182-183 Sts E 180 St Parkchester
Bway Nagle Ave Jerome Ave Grand Concourse Morris Park Ave Westchester Ave
St Lawrence Ave
to page throughout the whole project. Or, how type
190 St 191 St Burnside Ave Tremont Ave West Farms Sq Westchester Ave
Ft Wash Ave St Nicholas Ave Jerome Ave Grand Concourse Boston Rd
NYU East Tremont Ave Morrison/Sound View Aves
Westchester Ave
181 St 181 St 176 St 174-175 Sts 174 St
Ft Wash Ave St Nicholas Ave Jerome Ave Grand Concourse Southern Blvd Elder Ave
Westchester Ave
Mt Eden Ave Freeman St Whitlock Ave
Jerome Ave Southern Blvd Westchester Ave
175 St
sizes relate to each other. Or, how pictures relate to
Ft Wash Ave 170 St 170 St Simpson St
Jerome Ave Grand Concourse Weschester Ave
168 St 167 St 167 St Intervale Ave Hunts Point Ave
C
Bway 1 River Ave Grand Concourse Weschester Ave Southern Blvd
A
163 St Flushing-Main St
Amsterdam Ave Roosevelt Ave
7
B Prospect Ave Longwood Ave
D Weschester Ave Southern Blvd
4 161 St
Yankee Stadium Willets Point-Shea Stadium
each other and how the parts relate to the whole.
157 St 155 St Roosevelt Ave
Bway 155 St 8 Ave
St Nicholas Ave 149 St 3 Ave Jackson Ave
Grand Concourse 149 St Weschester Ave
3 2 E 149 St
Harlem 4 5 Southern Blvd 111 St
148 St Roosevelt Ave
145 St 145 St 145 St 138 St 3 Ave Brook Ave Cypress Ave E 143 St
Bway St Nicholas Ave A C B D Lenox Ave Grand Concourse E 138 St E 138 St E 138 St St Mary’s St
103 St-Corona Plaza
4 5 Roosevelt Ave
There are ways to achieve all this that are correct,
137 St 135 St 135 St
City College St Nicholas Ave Lenox Ave 3 2
125 St 125 St 125 St 125 St Junction Blvd
Bway St Nicholas Ave A C B D Lenox Ave 4 5 6 Lexington Ave Roosevelt Ave
116 St 116 St 116 St 116 St
Columbia Univ 8 Ave Lenox Ave Lexington Ave
90 St-Elmhurst Ave
Astoria Roosevelt Ave
Ditmars Blvd W N Jamaica-179 St
110 St 110 St 110 St 110 St
as there are others that are incorrect, and should
Hillside Ave
F
Cathedral Pkwy Cathedral Pkwy Central Park North Lexington Ave
Bway CPW Malcolm X Blvd
82 St-Jackson Hts 169 St
103 St 103 St 103 St Roosevelt Ave
Bway CPW Lexington Ave Astoria Blvd Hillside Ave
31 St
74 St
96 St 96 St 96 St Broadway Parson Blvd
Bway 1 2 3 CPW Lexington Ave 46 St Northern Blvd 65 St Elmhurst Ave Grand Ave Woodhaven Blvd 63 Dr-Rego Park 67 Ave Forest Hills-71 Ave Hillside Ave
E
Jamaica Center
J
Bway Bway Bway Bway Newtown Queens Blvd Queens Blvd Queens Blvd Queens Blvd Parsons/Archer
7
Z
30 Ave R R
31 St G G Sutphin Blvd
be avoided.
V V Hillside Ave
Steinway St F F
Bway E E
86 St 86 St 86 St Jackson Hts 75 Ave Kew Gardens Briarwood Jamaica Sutphin Blvd-Archer Ave
JFK Airtrain
Manhattan
Bway CPW 4 5 6 Lexington Ave Broadway Roosevelt Ave Queens Blvd Union Tpke Van Wyck Blvd Van Wyck
31 St 69 St Queens Blvd Main St
Roosevelt Ave
79 St 81 St
Bway Museum of 121 St
Natural History 77 St 36 St Jamaica Ave
Lexington Ave 36 Ave Northern Woodside - 61 St
72 St 72 St 31 St Blvd Roosevelt Ave
Syntactic consistency is of paramount importance
Bway CPW
63 St 39 Ave 111 St
Lexington Ave 68 St Roosevelt Island 21 St 31 St Jamaica Ave
66 St Hunter College Main St Queensbridge 52 St Ozone Park
Lincoln Center F Roosevelt Ave Lefferts Blvd
5 Ave Queensboro
A
59 St Plaza 33 St-Rawson St 40 St-Lowery St 46 St-Bliss St
W
W Queens Blvd Queens Blvd Queens Blvd 104 St 111 St
N
R Jamaica Ave
R
Greenwood Ave
7
1
G
59 St N Queens Liberty Ave
V
Columbus ACBD 53 St 57 St 4 5 6 59 St Long Is. City Plaza 7
E
Circle 7 Ave 7 Ave 57St 53 St Lexington Ave Court Sq
WR N Q 6 Ave 5 Ave G
in graphic design as it is in all human endeavors.
Woodhaven Blvd
V V
J
Jamaica Ave 104 St-Oxford Ave
Z
E E Liberty Ave 8/9
50 St 49 St 47-50 Sts Lex Ave 51 St 23 St 45 Rd 5/6
8 Ave 50 St 7 Ave Rockefeller Ctr 53 St Lexington Ave Ely Ave 7 Court House Sq
Bway 21 St
S S Jackson Ave 85 St
42 St 7 7 Forest Parkway Rockaway Blvd Federal Circle JFK Airport
Queens
Port Authority A C E 42 St 1 2 3 W R N Q B D F V 42 St 42 St 4 5 6 42 St Vernon Blvd Hunters Point Ave Liberty Ave
Times Sq 6 Ave Bryant Park Grand Central Jackson Ave 21 St Middle Village
Metropolitan Ave
M
75 St 1 4
Grids are one of the several tools helping
Jamaica Ave
34 St 34 St 34 St 33 St Fresh Pond Rd Aqueduct
67 Ave 88 St Lefferts Blvd 2/3
Penn Station A C E Penn 1 2 3 Herald Sq BDF V Park Ave S Boyd Ave Racetrack
8 Ave Station 28 St Cypress Hills
Bway Greenpoint Ave Jamaica Ave
28 St 28 St Manhattan Ave
7 Ave Park Ave S
Forest Ave Aqueduct
23 St 67 Ave North Conduit Ave
Bway 80 St
23 St 23 St 23 St 23 St Crescent St Hudson St
J
8 Ave 7 Ave 6 Ave Park Ave S Nassau Ave Fulton St Howard Beach
Z
designers to achieve syntactical consistency in
Manhattan Ave JFK Airtrain
Seneca Ave
18 St Palmetto St
7 Ave Jefferson St DeKalb Ave
Bedford Ave Wyckoff Ave Wyckoff Ave Norwood Ave
Morgan Ave Fulton St Grant Ave
N 7 St Harrison Pl Myrtle Ave Pitkin Ave
14 St L L Wyckoff Ave
M
8 Ave A C E 1 2 3 14 St 14 St WR N Q 4 5 6 14 St 3 Ave 1 Ave Lorimer St Graham Ave Grand St Montrose Ave
L
7 Ave 6 Ave Union Sq 14 St 14 St Metropolitan Ave Metropolitan Ave Bushwick Ave Bushwick Ave
Halsey St Cleveland St
8 St Astor Place Fulton St
Bway 4 Ave Wyckoff Ave Far Rockaway
Knickerbocker Ave Euclid Ave
C
Mott Ave
graphic design.
Pitkin Ave
A
Myrtle Ave
A
Christopher St West 4 St-6 Ave Bleecker St Wilson Ave
Sheridan Sq A C E B D F V Washington Sq Lafayette St 2 Ave Moffat St Van Siclen Ave Beach 25 St
Lower East Side Fulton St Wavecrest
V V
Houston St F F Broadway Central Ave
Myrtle Ave Bushwick Ave Shepherd Ave Beach 36 St
Varick St D Union Ave Pitkin Ave
B Aberdeen St Broad Channel Edgemere
A
Alabama Ave
Bway-Lafayette
S
Bowery Delancey St Marcy Ave Hewes St Lorimer St Flushing Ave Myrtle Ave Fulton St
Prince St Beach 44 St
Bway Delancey St Essex St Bway Bway Bway Bway Bway Kosciuszko St Gates Ave Halsey St Chauncey St New Lots Ave Frank Ave
Spring St Spring St M M Bway Bway Bway Bway Livonia Ave
3
6 Ave Lafayette St J J Van Siclen Ave
J
Z Z Beach 60 St
Z
Pitkin Ave
C
Grand St East Bway Broadway Jctn Liberty Ave Straiton Ave
A
Canal St Canal St Canal St Canal St B D Chrystie St Canal St East NY Ave Penn Ave
L
Varick St A C E 6 Ave Bway W R N Q Canal St M J Z Centre St Flushing Ave
Lafayette St Marcy Ave Atlantic Ave Beach 67 St
Van Siclen Ave
East NY Ave Livonia Ave Gaston Ave
Franklin St
Varick St Rockaway Ave Beach 90 St
Myrtle-Willoughby Aves Fulton St Holland
Marcy Ave
Chambers St Chambers St Chambers St Sutter Ave Pennsylvania Ave
W Bway 1 2 3 A C Church St 4 5 6 Centre St Van Sinderen Ave Livonia Ave
York St
City Hall Jay St
Bway Junius St Livonia Ave Beach 98 St
F
Ralph Ave Playland
Park Pl Fulton St Livonia Ave Van Sinderen Ave
Bway
3 Bedford-Nostrand Aves
2 Lafayette Ave
World Trade C C New Lots Ave Beach 105 St
Center E A A Rockaway Ave Van Sinderen Ave Seaside
Cortlandt St 4 5 Fulton St M J Z 2 3 Fulton St High St Utica Ave Livonia Ave
C
Church St Broadway- Brooklyn Fulton St
A
Nassau Bridge Classon Ave
Hudson River Rector St Rector St Wall St Broad St Wall St
Clark St
Lafayette Ave
Saratoga Ave
East 105 St
Tyndall Ave Rockaway Park
S
Greenwich St Trinity Pl Bway J Z Wall St William St Jay St Livonia Ave Beach 116 St
A
Bklyn Hgts Borough Hall F A C
DeKalb Ave Clinton-Washington Aves Kingston Throop Ave
Bowling Court St Lawrence St Flatbush Ave Fulton St Canarsie
Montague St Willoughby St Lafayette Ave
Green-Bway Sutter Ave Rockaway Pkwy
Rutland Rd
B
L
Q
W Fulton St
M
Whitehall St Hoyt St Lafayette Ave Lafayette Ave Clinton-Washington Aves
R
1 South Ferry Fulton Mall Fulton St Fulton St Nostrand Ave
C
South Ferry 3 Fulton St Eastern Pkwy
A
3
2 Utica Ave
4
5 Atlantic Ave Franklin Ave
4 Flatbush Ave S Fulton St
Borough Hall Nevins St
Joralemon St Flatbush Ave Kingston Ave
B
Bergen St
Q
Flatbush Ave Eastern Pkwy
3
C Park Pl
2
7 Ave
5
A Franklin Ave
4
G Flatbush Ave
Hoyt St Nostrand Ave
Schermerhorn St Atlantic Ave Eastern Pkwy Franklin Ave Eastern Pkwy
R M N D Pacific St Brooklyn Mus Eastern Pkwy
Grand Army
3
2
5 President St
Atlantic Ocean
Bergen St Plaza 4 Nostrand Ave
Smith St Botanic Garden
Union St S Eastern Pkwy
Brooklyn
Sterling St
4 Ave Nostrand Ave
Caroll St
Smith St Prospect Park
B
Flatbush Ave Winthrop St
Q
Parkside Ave Nostrand Ave
Ocean Ave
Smith St 9 St
F G 9 St 4 Ave 7 Ave Church Ave
9 St Church Ave Nostrand Ave
Prospect Park
E 15 St E 18 St
Beverly Rd
F
Nostrand Ave
Beverly Rd
Stadium Prospect Ave Marlborough Rd Newkirk Ave
St George 4 Ave Nostrand Ave
Fort Hamilton Pkwy
Ocean Pkwy Cortelyou Rd Brooklyn College
E 16 St Flatbush Ave
Tompkinsville
2
25 St
5
4 Ave Church Ave
McDonald Ave Newkirk Ave
Stapleton E 16 St
Staten Island Clifton
36 St
4 Ave R M N D
Ditmas Ave
Avenue H
E 16 St
Avenue J
McDonald Ave
Grasmere 9 Ave E 16 St
39 St
Old Town 18 Ave
45 St McDonald Ave Avenue M
4 Ave E 16 St
Fort Hamilton Pkwy
Dongan Hills New Utrecht Ave
Avenue I
McDonald Ave
Jefferson Ave
53 St 50 St
Grant City 4 Ave New Utrecht Ave Bay Pkwy
McDonald Ave Kings Hwy
E 16 St
New Dorp
55 St Avenue N
59 St New Utrecht Ave McDonald Ave
Oakwood Heights
4 Ave 8 Ave Fort Hamilton Pkwy 18 Ave 20 Ave
61 St 61 St 64 St 64 St
Bay Terrace N Avenue P
62 St Bay Pkwy McDonald Ave Avenue U
New Utrecht Ave Avenue O E 16 St
Great Kills
D
M
Bay Ridge Ave Kings Hwy
Eltingville 4 Ave 71 St McDonald Ave Neck Rd
New Utrecht Ave Kings Hwy E 16 St
West 7 St
Annadale Avenue U
McDonald Ave Sheepshead Bay
79 St E 16 St
Huguenot 77 St New Utrecht Ave Avenue U
4 Ave West 7 St
Avenue X Brighton Beach
Prince’s Bay McDonald Ave Brighton 6 St
B
18 Av
Q
New Utrecht Ave 86 St
Pleasant Plains West 7 St
86 St Neptune Ave
4 Ave McDonald Ave
Richmond Valley D Ocean Pkwy
M 25 Ave Brighton Beach
20 Ave Bay Pkwy 86 St
Nassau 86 St 86 St
Bay Ridge
Atlantic 95 St R Bay
50 St W 8 St
NY Aquarium
Tottenville
D
N
Coney Island
F
Stillwell Ave
Q
12
Pragmatics Whatever we do, if not understood, fails to
communicate and is wasted effort.
We design things which we think are semantically
correct and syntactically consistent but if, at the
point of fruition, no one understands the result, or
the meaning of all that effort, the entire work is
useless. Sometimes it may need some explanation
but it is better when not necessary. Any artifact
should stand by itself in all its clarity. Otherwise,
something really important has been missed.
The final look of anything is the by-product of the
clarity (or lack of it) during its design phase. It is
important to understand the starting point and all
assumptions of any project to fully comprehend
the final result and measure its efficiency.
Clarity of intent will translate in to clarity of result
and that is of paramount importance in Design.
Confused, complicated designs reveal an equally
confused and complicated mind.
We love complexities but hate complications!
Having said this, I must add that we like Design
to be forceful. We do not like limpy design.
We like Design to be intellectually elegant - that
means elegance of the mind, not one of manners,
elegance that is the opposite of vulgarity.
We like Design to be beyond fashionable modes
and temporary fads. We like Design to be as
timeless as possible.
We despise the culture of obsolescence. We feel
the moral imperative of designing things that will
last for a long time.
It is with this set of values that we approach
Design everyday, regardless of what it may be:
two or three dimensional, large or small,
rich or poor. Design is One!
14
Discipline The attention to details requires discipline.
There is no room for sloppiness, for carelessness,
for procrastination. Every detail is important
because the end result is the sum of all the details
involved in the creative process no matter what
we are doing. There are no hierarchies when it
comes to quality. Quality is there or is not there,
and if is not there we have lost our time. It is a
commitment and a continuously painstaking effort
of the creative process to which we should abide.
That is Discipline and without it there is no good
design, regardless of its style.
Discipline is a set of self imposed rules, parameters
within which we operate. It is a bag of tools that
allows us to design in a consistent manner from
beginning to end. Discipline is also an attitude
that provides us with the capacity of controlling
our creative work so that it has continuity of
intent throughout rather than fragmentation.
Design without discipline is anarchy, an exercise
of irresponsibility.
16
Appropriateness The notion of appropriateness is consequent to
what I have expressed. Once we search the roots
of whatever we have to design we are also defining
the area of possible solutions that are appropriate -
specific to that particular problem. Actually, we
can say that appropriateness is the search for
the specific of any given problem. To define that
prevents us from taking wrong directions, or
alternative routes that lead to nowhere or even
worse, to wrong solutions.
Appropriateness directs us to the right kind of
media, the right kind of materials, the right kind
of scale, the right kind of expression, color and
texture. Appropriateness elicits the enthusiastic
approval of the client seeing the solution to his
problem. Appropriateness transcends any issue of
style - there are many ways of solving a problem,
many ways of doing, but the relevant thing is that,
no matter what, the solution must be appropriate.
I think that we have to listen to what a thing
wants to be, rather then contrive it in to an
arbitrary confinement. However, sometimes there
may be other rules that one must follow to achieve
the correct level of continuity.
At least for me, this is a relevant issue which very
often determines the look of the project to be
designed. This issue is one of the fundamental
principles of our Canon.
During the post-modern time, the verb “to be
appropriate” assumed the meaning of borrowing
something and transforming it by placing it in
a different context. We could say that this kind
of “appropriation” when appropriate, could be
done - just another way of solving a problem or
expressing creativity.
18
Ambiguity Rather than the negative connotation of
ambiguity as a form of vagueness, I have a positive
interpretation of ambiguity, intended as a plurality
of meanings, or the ability of conferring to an
object or a design, the possibility of being read in
different ways - each one complementary to the
other to enrich the subject and give more depth.
We often use this device to enhance the expression
of the design and we treasure the end results.
However, one has to be cautious in playing with
ambiguity because if not well measured it can
backfire with unpleasant results. Contradiction can
sometimes reinforce ambiguity, but more often
it is a sign of discontinuity and lack of control.
Ambiguity and contradiction can enrich a project
but can equally sink the end results.
Therefore, great caution is recommended in using
these spices.
20
Design Is One The office of the Castiglioni Architects in Milano
was the first place, where at the age of 16, I went
to work as a draftsman. They were active in the
whole field of Design and Architecture following
the Adolph Loos dictum that an Architect should
be able to design everything “from the spoon to
the city.” They had already designed a very iconic
radio, beautiful silver flatware, camping furniture,
witty stools, industrial bookshelves, nice houses
and an incredible museum. Later they designed
restaurants, trade shows, exhibitions, furniture
and much more. They became the icons of Italian
Design. I strongly recommend to all designers
to investigate and study their work. I was
tremendously impressed by the diversity of projects
and immediately fascinated by the Architect’s
possibility of working in so many different areas.
I discovered that what is important is to master
a design discipline to be able to design anything,
because that is what is essential and needed on
every project.
Design is one - it is not many different ones. The
discipline of Design is one and can be applied to
many different subjects, regardless of style. Design
discipline is above and beyond any style. All style
requires discipline in order to be expressed.
Very often people think that Design is a particular
style. Nothing could be more wrong! Design is a
discipline, a creative process with its own rules,
controlling the consistency of its output toward its
objective in the most direct and expressive way.
Throughout my life I have hunted opportunities to
diversify my design practice: from glass to metal,
from wood to pottery to plastics, from printing
to packaging, from furniture to interiors, from
clothing to costumes, from exhibitions to stage
design and more. Everything was, and still is, a
tempting challenge to test the interaction between
intuition and knowledge, between passion and
22 curiosity, between desire and success.
Visual Power We say all the time that we like Design to be
visually powerful. We cannot stand Design that
is weak in concept, form, color, texture or any or
all of them. We think good Design is always an
expression of creative strength bringing forward
clear concepts expressed in beautiful form and
color, where every element expresses the content
in the most forceful way.
There are infinite possibilities to achieve a
powerful expression. In graphic design, for
instance, difference of scale within the same
page can give a very strong impact. Bold type
contrasting with light type creates visually
dynamic impressions. We have used this approach
successfully in our graphic design.
In three dimensional design, manipulating light
through different textures and materials gives
infinite and effective results. Changing scale and
contrasting sizes provide an impressive array
of possibilities.
It is essential that a design is imbued with visual
strength and unique presence to achieve its
purpose. Visual strength can be achieved also by
using delicate layouts or materials. Visual strength
is an expression of intellectual elegance and should
never be confused with just visual impact - which,
most of the time, is just an expression of visual
vulgarity and obtrusiveness.
Visual power is, in any event, a subject which
deserves great attention to achieve effective design.
24
Intellectual We often talk about Intellectual Elegance, not to
Elegance be confused with the elegance of manners and
mores. For me, intellectual elegance is the sublime
level of intelligence which has produced all the
masterpieces in the history of mankind.
It is the elegance we find in Greek statues, in
Renaissance paintings, in the sublime writings of
Goethe, and many great creative minds.
It is the elegance of Architecture of any period, the
Music of all times, the clarity of Science through
the ages. It is the thread that guides us to the best
solution of whatever we do. It is the definitive goal
of our minds - the one beyond compromises.
It elevates the most humble artifact to a noble
stand. Intellectual elegance is also our civic
consciousness, our social responsibility, our sense
of decency, our way of conceiving Design, our
moral imperative. Again, it is not a design style,
but the deepest meaning and the essence
of Design.
26
Timelessness We are definitively against any fashion of design
and any design fashion. We despise the culture of
obsolescence, the culture of waste, the cult of the
ephemeral. We detest the demand of temporary
solutions, the waste of energies and capital for the
sake of novelty.
We are for a Design that lasts, that responds to
people’s needs and to people’s wants. We are
for a Design that is committed to a society that
demands long lasting values. A society that earns
the benefit of commodities and deserves respect
and integrity.
We like the use of primary shapes and primary
colors because their formal values are timeless.
We like a typography that transcends subjectivity
and searches for objective values, a typography
that is beyond times - that doesn’t follow trends,
that reflects its content in an appropriate manner.
We like economy of design because it avoids
wasteful exercises, it respects investment and lasts
longer. We strive for a Design that is centered on
the message rather than visual titillation. We like
Design that is clear, simple and enduring. And that
is what timelessness means in Design.
28
Responsibility In graphic design the issue of responsibility One - to ourselves, the integrity of the project
assumes particular importance as a form of and all its components.
economic awareness toward the most appropriate Two - to the Client, to solve the problem in
solution to a given problem. a way that is economically sound and efficient.
Too often we see printed works produced in Three - to the public at large, the consumer,
a lavish manner just to satisfy the ego of designers the user of the final design.
or clients. It is important that an economically On each one of these levels we should be ready to
appropriate solution is used and is one that takes commit ourselves to reach the most appropriate
in proper consideration all the facets of solution, the one that solves the problem without
the problem. compromises for the benefit of everyone.
As much as this may seem obvious it is one of In the end, a design should stand by itself,
the most overlooked issues by both designers and without excuses, explanations, apologies.
clients. Responsibility is another form of discipline. It should represent the fulfillment of a successful
As designers, we have three levels of responsibility: process in all its beauty.
A responsible solution.
30
Equity Many times we have been asked to design a logo
or a symbol for a Company - often at the request
of the marketing department to refresh the
Company’s position in the marketplace.
Although this may be a legitimate request, very
often, it is motivated by the desire of change
merely for the sake of change, and that is a very
wrong motivation.
A real Corporate Identity is based on an overall
system approach, not just a logo.
A logo gradually becomes part of our collective
culture; in its modest way it becomes part of all of
us. Think of Coca Cola, think of Shell, or, why not,
AmericanAirlines. When a logo has been in the
public domain for more than fifty years it becomes
a classic, a landmark, a respectable entity and
there is no reason to throw it away and substitute
it with a new concoction, regardless of how well it
has been designed.
Perhaps, because I grew up in a country where
history and vernacular architecture were part of
culture of the territory and was protected,
I considered established logos something to be
equally protected.
The notion of a logo equity has been with us from
the very beginning of time. When we were asked to
design a new logo for the FORD Motor Company,
we proposed a light retouch of the old one which
could be adjusted for contemporary applications.
We did the same for CIGA HOTELS, CINZANO,
LANCIA Cars and others. There was no reason to
dispose of logos that had seventy years of exposure,
and were rooted in people’s consciousness with a
set of respectable connotations.
What is new is NOT a graphic form but a way of
thinking, a way of showing respect for history
in a context that usually has zero understanding
for these values.
32
Part Two Paper Sizes
The Tangibles Grids, Margins, Columns and Modules
A Company Letterhead
Grids for Books
Typefaces, The Basic Ones
Flush left, centered, justified
Type Size Relationships
Rulers
Contrasting Type Sizes
Scale
Texture
Color
Layouts
Sequence
Binding
Indentity and Diversity
White Space
A collection of experiences
Conclusion
34
Paper Sizes The choice of paper size is one of the first of any compromising the end result.
given work to be printed. There are two basic For stationary we like to use a heavy paper (100%
paper size systems in the world: the international cotton - sub 28) for executive level, and a regular
A sizes, and the American sizes. bond for business level. Same paper for the
The international Standard paper sizes, called the envelopes, usually with a square flap. Size may
A series, is based on a golden rectangle, the divine vary according to countries.
proportion. It is extremely handsome and practical
as well. It is adopted by many countries around For books, it depends very much on the kind of
the world and is based on the German DIN metric book. For text books, we use a book paper; for
Standards. The United States uses a basic letter illustrated books we will use a coated, dull or
size (8 1/2 x 11”) of ugly proportions, and results glossy according to the subject, although we tend
in complete chaos with an endless amount of to prefer dull papers. The quality of reproduction
paper sizes. It is a by-product of the culture of free continues to improve, better papers, better inks,
enterprise, competition and waste. Just another better printing presses, better technologies.
example of the misinterpretations of freedom. The field is in continuos motion and we have to
keep up with the times. Every technology implies
These are the basic DIN sizes in mm. for : different production costs and we should be aware
A0, 841x1189 - A1, 594x841 - A2, 420x594 - and work with the suppliers to optimize costs and
A3, 297x420 - A4, 210x297 - A5, 148x210 - quality. Not all the countries share the same level
A6, 105 x148 - A7, 74x 105 - A8, 52x74 - of printing quality and we have to try to obtain the
A9, 37x52 - A10, 26x37. best in every situation.
Not all papers are available around the world and
The A4 is the basic size for stationary. Two thirds that sometime poses some quality problems.
of it is a square, a nice economical happenstance Whenever possible, we like to use both sides of a
resulting from the golden rectangle. sheet of paper, even when we do posters, offering
It is one of the reasons we tend to use as much the possibility of increasing and pacing the
as possible the DIN sizes: proportions are always information on a large piece of paper, rather than
leading to other nice proportions. wasting one side.
This does not happen with the American basic The most common poster sizes in Europe are:
size which leads to nothing. I counted 28 different 50x70, 70x100, 100x140 centimeters.
standard sizes in USA!. The only reason we use it More poster sizes are available in the USA.
is because everybody in USA uses it, all stationary
in USA is that size, so are manilla folders, files and In designing a book, a brochure, or any other
office equipment! kind of printed matter, the choice of the paper size
The repercussion of ugliness is endless. involves quite a complexity of issues. Sometimes
it has to conform to previous related publications,
The choice of paper in the market place is sometimes it has to break a new ground,
enormous. However, we tend to use a limited sometimes the size itself becomes the carrier of a
selection of papers, choosing the most appropriate message even before anything is printed on it.
for the job, rich or poor. We are quite conscious The choice of a size is a very important decision.
about the use of paper and tend to use those It involves costs and is part of the overall economy
36 which are more ecologically sound, without of the production process. It is important that
a designer is fully aware of the printing process A0 A1
and the papers required for the most efficient and
economic production of the printed work.
The market offerings are wide but indiscriminate,
governed more by the rules of competition than
by standards.
Standardizing paper sizes, and consequently
publication sizes, is a conscious contribution to
the environment, ultimately saving trees, reducing
pollution and waste. The choice of a publication
size should be made with an awareness of its A4 A5 A2
consequences, understanding that ethics and
aesthetics have a common semantic root that
should be respected.
It is our professional imperative to see that these A7
issues are respected.
We should never forget that our task as designers is
to bring dignity to our profession more than luster,
and that opportunity is in every detail.
A3
38
Grids, Margins, For us Graphic Design is “organization of
Columns information.” There are other types of graphic
and Modules design more concerned with illustration or of a
narrative nature.
Nothing could be more useful to reach our
intention than the Grid. The grid represents the
basic structure of our graphic design, it helps to
organize the content, it provides consistency, it
gives an orderly look and it projects a level of
intellectual elegance that we like to express.
There are infinite kinds of grids, but just one - the
most appropriate - for any problem. Therefore, it
becomes important to know which kind of grid is
the most appropriate. The basic understanding is
that the smaller the module of the grid the least
helpful it could be. We could say that an empty
page is a page with an infinitesimal small grid.
Therefore, it is equivalent to not being there.
Conversely a page with a coarse grid is a very
restricting grid offering too few alternatives. The
secret is to find the proper kind of grid for the
job at hand. Sometimes, in designing a grid we
want to have the outside margins small enough
to provide a certain tension between the edges of
the page and the content. After that we divide the
page in a certain number of columns according to
the content, three, two, four, five, six, etc. Columns
provide only one kind of consistency, but we also
need to have an horizontal frame of reference
to assure certain levels of continuity throughout
the publication. Therefore, we will divide the
page from top to bottom in a certain number of
Modules, four, six, eight, or more, according to
size and need. Once we have structured the page,
we will begin to structure the information and
place it in the grid in such a way that the clarity of
the message will be enhanced by the placement
of the text on the grid. There are infinite ways of
doing this and that is why the grid is a useful tool,
rather than a constricting device. However, one
should learn to use it so as to retrieve the most
40 advantageous results.
2x4 Grid 5x4 Grid
3x6 Grid 6x6 Grid
4x8 Grid
A Company After setting the outside margins at 10mm. from ABDIPHARMA
Letterhead the edges of the paper, we will divide the space in
three columns, leaving the left one blank for the
use of a logo, or names, or just empty space. Mr. Recepient’s name
The remaining two columns will be for the text. Recepient’s Title
Recepient’s address
City, Province Zip code
The overall asymmetrical layout conveys a feeling City, Date, Year
of modernity. Dear Mr. Smith,
At the top we will put the name of the Company Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam
erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
starting and containing it in the second column, ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse
in a way that it will look centered on the page. molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero
eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent lup
tatum zzril delenit augue duis scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh
If we have established a horizontal grid of six euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.
Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper
modules, we will position the address of the suscipit dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat,
vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan
et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue
receiver on the second module, second column. duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat
volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
The first fold of the letter will be in conjunction
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Sincerely,
with the third module and just below that,
the letter will start, typing the text flush left Massimo Vignelli
from the second column toward the right margin.
Sometimes we will position the logo (or the
symbol) on the first column, right below the
first fold. Kore Şehitleri Caddesi No:00
00000 Zincirlikuyu - Istanbul
T. +00 000 000 0000
F. +00 000 000 0000
Usually, we will place the sender’s address at www.abdiibrahim.com.tr
the bottom of the page splitting the information
between the second and the third columns.
The over all look of the letterhead is accomplished
when the letter is typed with the message, and
in this example, every component has its proper Mr. Recepient’s name, Recepient’s Title
place, with the proper hierarchy and clarity. Recepient’s address
City, Province Zip code
The proper choice of a typeface will give the City, Date, Year
appropriate final look to the stationary. Naturally, Dear Mr. Smith,
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
this is only one of the many possible combinations nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam
erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo.
for a letterhead, according to our canon. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse
molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero
The intention of this example is only to eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent lup
tatum zzril delenit augue duis scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh
euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.
demonstrate the use of a grid in a letterhead. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper
suscipit dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat,
Another typical example of a letterhead is the one vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan
et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue
duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat
with a central axis. volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
For this kind of letterhead we will design a grid of Sincerely,
five columns, of which, one is for the left margin,
three are for the text and one is for the right Massimo Vignelli
margin. We will place the logo at the very top of
the letter positioned in the center column.
The addressee will be positioned on the second
Aziende Agricole Spa
Via Filande, 6 Località Pianodardine 83100 Avellino
T. +39 0825 626406 F. +39 0825 610733 E. acasa@cantineacasa.it
44 module from the top and flush left with the second www.cantineacasa.it
column. The letter will then start from the first
fold down. At the bottom of the page, the name
of the Company and its addresses all set centered.
The final look is quite appropriate for more
Mr. Recepient’s name, Recepient’s Title
conservative situations. Recepient’s address
City, Province Zip code
For the envelopes we will place the logo on the City, Date, Year
front of the envelope centered all the way to
the left, and the return address on the square flap Andrew Smith
Director of Communication
Dear Mr. Smith,
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
of the back of the envelope.
Address information
Telephone +0 00 000 0000 nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam
Fax +0 00 000 0000 erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
andrew.smith@company.com
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo.
Naturally the same approach will be used to design Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse
molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero
a fax form, or an invoice, or any other piece of eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent lup
tatum zzril delenit augue duis scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh
stationary. The concept is basically the same.
euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.
Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper
A page is structured by the grid and the
suscipit dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat,
vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan
et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue
information falls in the proper place, which is duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat
volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
always somehow connected to the grid. Sincerely,
The purpose of the grid is to help to prevent
arbitrary, meaningless placements of the Massimo Vignelli
information on the printed page. Obviously, there
are many ways of doing even that - some more
inspired than others. Rosario Norte 660
Las Condes, Santiago
Chile
Teléfono (56-2) 330 4100 / 330 4000
Fax (56-2) 330 4001
www.corpvida.cl
The illustrations provide several examples for
stationary layouts.
It is just like in music, where five lines and seven Fax
notes allow one to make infinite compositions.
From To
Vignelli D. Fernando Siña
Company Fax number
That is the magic of the grid.
CorpVida (56-2) 330 4001
Date N. of pages
11 Octubre 2006 1
Subject
Presentación Identidad Corporativa
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam
erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse
molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero
eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent lup
tatum zzril delenit augue duis scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh
euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.
Sincerely,
Massimo Vignelli
Rosario Norte 660 Teléfono (56-2) 330 4100 / 330 4000
Las Condes, Santiago Fax (56-2) 330 4001
Chile www.corpvida.cl
46
Grids for Books For the design of a book the grid provides again
structure and continuity from cover to cover.
In a picture book, according to the content, the
grid could have a number of columns and sub-
columns to organize the information accordingly.
In agreement with the content the size of the book
will be the first thing to be determined. A book
with square pictures will be square, a book with
rectangular pictures will be rectangular or oblong,
in accord with the most appropriate way to
exhibit the material. The content determines
the container - a basic truth also in book design.
It is a good practice to relate the grid to the
proportion of the majority of pictures, so that there
will be the least need for cropping their images.
Today photographers are more careful about the
composition of their images, so the grid should be
devised to take that in proper consideration.
By structuring the grid accordingly the book will
have a higher level of integrity than otherwise.
The illustrations provide several examples of grids
for several kinds of books.
48
50
We have designed grids for books, magazines,
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
newspapers, and posters - each one with its own Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in
level of specificity - but all following the same maecenas pharetra gravida ullamcorper
neque. Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu,
basic concept of organizing information. cursus odio placerat ultrices adipiscing
lectus ornare, ut velit nonummy, quidem
One element of refinement is to plan a grid in such vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
a way that type and illustrations follow the same scelerisque tempus vivamus ac. Arcu
fermentum nibh, turpis pharetra gravida
exact grid. To do that a specific leading should be urna pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo
congue pretium lectus condimentum,
determined for the type area of each module with quisque diam consectetur interdum.
Ac lorem pellentesque cras, ligula risus
the illustration modules coinciding. This gives integer velit incidunt, luctus nisl iaculis
great elegance of detail to the printed page. aliquam aenean amet nulla, congue
varius, metus donec senectus sed nisi
It is considered to be “good typography” as done placerat condimentum. Arcu fermentum
nibh, turpis pharetra gravida urna
by the Masters. pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo risus
Depending on the size of the book we like to keep integer velit incidunt, luctus nisl congue
pretium lectus condimentum.
the space between the columns and the modules
Pellentesque cras, ligula risus integer
rather tight - ideally the size of a line of type - velit incidunt, luctus nisl iaculis aliquam
aenean amet nulla, congue varius,
which helps to achieve what I said above. metus donec senectus sed nisi placerat
One of the great advantages of the computer is in condimentum.
the definition of the grid which can be achieved in
a very precise way and much better than before.
One can draw a grid based on the leading size,
the picture proportions, as well as having Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Aliquam proin et magnis sit augue,
overlapping grid for different parts of the content. nisl in quos odio eu odio, pellentesque
suspendisse nec non pulvinar dui
Naturally, the more complex the grid is, the more cras, sollicitudin at. Libero cras vel elit
complicated the layout becomes, and one has iaculis eget. Ultrices orci id egestas at
risus sit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in
to be very careful about that. maecenas pharetra gravida ullamcorper
neque. Sed hendrerit proin diam duis
eu, scelerisque tempus vivamus ac.
Arcu fermentum nibh, pharetra gravida.
Urna pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo
congue pretium lectus condimentum,
quisque diam consectetur interdum.
Ac lorem pellentesque cras, ligula risus
integer velit incidunt, luctus nisl iaculis
aliquam aenean amet nulla, congue
varius, metus donec senectus sed nisi
placerat condimentum. Aliquam proin et
magnis sit augue, nisl in quos odio eu
odio, pellentesque suspendisse nec non
pulvinar dui cras, sollicitudin at.
Libero cras vel elit iaculis eget. Ultrices
orci id egestas at risus sit. Lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, in maecenas pharetra
gravida ullamcorper neque. Sed
hendrerit proin diam duis eu, cursus
odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus
ornare, ut velit nonummy, quidem
vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
scelerisque tempus odio, pellentesque
suspendisse nec non vivamus ac.
52
Typefaces The advent of the computer generated the are many ways of understanding and expressing
The Basic Ones phenomena called desktop publishing. This typography. I am not interested in describing
enabled anyone who could type the freedom of all the different possibilities as much I am in
using any available typeface and do any kind of expressing my point of view and my approach.
distortion. It was a disaster of mega proportions. I see typography as a discipline to organize
A cultural pollution of incomparable dimension. information in the most objective way possible.
As I said, at the time, if all people doing desktop I do not like typography intended as an expression
publishing were doctors we would all be dead! of the self, as a pretext for pictorial exercises.
Typefaces experienced an incredible explosion. I am aware that there is room for that too, but it is
The computer allowed anybody to design new not my language and I am not interested in it.
typefaces and that became one of the biggest I don’t believe that when you write dog the type
visual pollution of all times. should bark!
In order to draw attention to that issue I made I prefer a more objective approach: I try to make as
an exhibition showing work that we had done clear as possible the different parts of a message by
over many years by using only four typefaces: using space, weight, and typographic alignments,
Garamond, Bodoni, Century Expanded, and such as flush left, centered or justified.
Helvetica. The aim of the exhibition was to show
that a large variety of printed matter could be There are times when a specific type design
done with an economy of type with great results. may be appropriate, mostly for a logo or a short
In other words, is not the type but what you do promotional text, particularly in very ephemeral
with it that counts. The accent was on structure or promotional contexts.
rather than type. These are not our typical areas of involvement but
I still believe that most typefaces are designed whenever a brilliant solution is found I appreciate
for commercial reasons, just to make money or both the intent and the results.
for identity purposes. In reality the number of I strongly believe that design should never be
good typefaces is rather limited and most of the boring, but I don’t think it should be a form
new ones are elaborations on pre-existing faces. of entertainment.
Personally, I can get along well with a half Good design is never boring, only bad design is.
a dozen, to which I can add another half a dozen,
but probably no more.
Besides those already mentioned, I can add
Optima, Futura, Univers (the most advanced design
of the century since it comes in 59 variations of
the same face), Caslon, Baskerville, and a few other
modern cuts. As you can see my list is pretty basic
but the great advantage is that it can assure better
results. It is also true that in recent years the work
of some talented type designers has produced some
remarkable results to offset the lack of purpose
and quality of most of the other typefaces.
One of the most important elements in typography
54 is scale and size relationship. Naturally there
Garamond, 1532
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Bodoni, 1788
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Century Expanded, 1900
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Futura, 1930
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Times Roman, 1931
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Helvetica, 1957
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
56
1234567890
58
60
62
Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugno, 1999 Pagina 6 Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugno, 1999 Pagina 11
8
Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica Direzionale: Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica di Identificazione
New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS Dimensione e modulazione dei New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS di Stazione:
Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole pannelli in alluminio verniciato a Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole Pannelli in alluminio verniciato a
Fax 212/967 4961 spruzzo su cui le lettere e i Fax 212/967 4961 spruzzo con lettere ritagliate e
e-mail design@vignelli.com pittogrammi possono essere e-mail design@vignelli.com illuminate all’interno.
www.vignelli.com applicati tramite serigrafia o www.vignelli.com
pellicola adesiva. Scala 1:10
Scala 1:5
Frasc Fras
Segnaletica luminosa di identificazione Stazione Segnaletica di identificazione Stazione sull’Edificio 100mm
Frascati
600mm
300mm
600mm
25mm
1500mm
2500mm
Segnaletica Direzionale Segnaletica d’Informazione
150mm
Uscita
100mm
75mm
La sala d'attesa resterá chiusa
dalle ore 24,00 alle ore 5,00 25mm
Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugno, 1999 Pagina 7
9 Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugnoo, 1999 Pagina 8
10
Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica di Identificazione: Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica di Identificazione:
New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS Tipologie di pannelli in alluminio New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS Pannelli in alluminio verniciato a
Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole verniciato a spruzzo su cui le Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole spruzzo su cui le lettere e i
Fax 212/967 4961 lettere e i pittogrammi possono Fax 212/967 4961 pittogrammi possono essere
e-mail design@vignelli.com essere applicati tramite serigrafia e-mail design@vignelli.com applicati tramite serigrafia o
www.vignelli.com o pellicola adesiva. www.vignelli.com pellicola adesiva.
Scala 1:5 Scala 1:5
Biglietteria
600mm
Sottopassaggio
Vietato attraversare i binari
300mm
Ai binari
Servirsi del sottopassaggio
150mm 150mm
Uscita
50mm 50mm 50mm
5mm 10mm 5mm
1500mm
1500mm
Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugno, 1999 Pagina 9
12 Grandi Stazioni S.p.A. 7 Giugno, 1999 Pagina 10
13
Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica di Identificazione: Vignelli Associates Designers 475 Tenth Avenue Progetto: Segnaletica di Identificazione:
New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS Pannelli quadrati a doppia faccia New York, New York 10018 Segnaletica delle Stazioni FS Esempi di pannelli in alluminio
Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole sporgenti a bandiera dalla parete Telephone 212/244 1919 Medie e Piccole verniciato a spruzzo applicati
Fax 212/967 4961 dell’edificio o dai pilastri lungo i Fax 212/967 4961 direttamente sulla parete.
e-mail design@vignelli.com binari. Pannelli e supporti in e-mail design@vignelli.com Pannelli quadrati e supporti in
www.vignelli.com alluminio verniciato a spruzzo su www.vignelli.com alluminio verniciato a spruzzo su
cui pittogrammi e numeri possono cui pittogrammi e numeri possono
essere applicati tramite serigrafia essere applicati tramite serigrafia
o pellicola adesiva. o pellicola adesiva.
Scala 1:5
3 2
3 2
Biglietteria Uscita
250mm
300mm
Uscita
Flush Left, Most of the time we use flush left. This type Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas
Centered, pharetra gravida ullamcorper neque.
of alignment derives from metal composition, Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu, cursus
Justified particularly in Linotype. Formerly it was faster to odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus
keep the alignment on the left side rather then ornare, ut velit nonummy, quidem vitae
turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus, scelerisque
having to kern the slug for every line. It also tempus vivamus ac. Arcu fermentum
makes more sense since in our culture we read nibh, turpis pharetra gravida urna
from left to right and it is better for the eye pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo congue
pretium lectus condimentum, quisque diam
to go to the next line than having to cope with consectetur interdum. Aliquam proin et
hyphens all the time. However, it is important to magnis sit augue, nisl in quos odio eu odio,
control the shape of the rugged side by shifting pellentesque suspendisse nec non pulvinar
dui cras, sollicitudin at.
sometimes the text from line to line to obtain
a better profile. This may be time consuming but
aesthetically rewarding.
We use centered for lapidary text, invitations, or
any rhetorical composition where it may be more
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas pharetra
appropriate, or for the address at the bottom of gravida ullamcorper neque. Sed hendrerit
a letterhead, and for business cards. proin diam duis eu, cursus odio placerat ultrices
adipiscing lectus ornare, ut velit nonummy, quidem
vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus, scelerisque
Justified is used more for text books, tempus vivamus ac. Arcu fermentum nibh,
but it is not one of our favorites because it is turpis pharetra gravida urna pellentesque vel,
fundamentally contrived. mi sodales, justo congue pretium lectus condimentum,
quisque diam consectetur interdum. Aliquam proin
et magnis sit augue, nisl in quos odio eu odio,
pellentesque suspendisse nec non pulvinar dui cras,
sollicitudin at.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas
pharetra gravida ullamcorper neque.
Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu, cursus
odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus
ornare, ut velit nonummy, quidem
vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
scelerisque tempus vivamus ac. Arcu
fermentum nibh, turpis pharetra gravida
urna pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo
congue pretium lectus condimentum,
quisque diam consectetur interdum.
Aliquam proin et magnis sit augue,
nisl in quos odio eu odio, pellentesque
suspendisse nec non pulvinar dui cras,
sollicitudin at.
66
Type Size We have some basic rules for typesetting. Choose Title Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas pharetra gravida
Relationship the proper size of type in relation to the width of ullamcorper neque. Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu,
the column: cursus odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus ornare, ut velit
nonummy, quidem vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
8 on 9, 9 on 10, 10 on 11 pt for columns up
scelerisque tempus vivamus ac. Arcu fermentum nibh, turpis
to 70 mm. pharetra gravida urna pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo
12 on 13, 14 on 16 for columns up to 140 mm. congue pretium lectus condimentum, quisque diam consectetur
16 on 18, 18 on 20, for larger columns. interdum. Aliquam proin et magnis sit augue, nisl in quos odio
Naturally every situation may require a different eu odio, pellentesque suspendisse nec non pulvinar dui cras,
sollicitudin at.
ratio. For display reasons we like to set the type
much larger or increase the leading to achieve a
particular effect.
Basically we stick to no more then two type sizes
on a printed page, but there are exceptions.
We like to play off small type with larger type -
usually twice as big (for instance, 10 pt text and
20 pt headings). I prefer to keep the same size for Title Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas pharetra gravida
ullamcorper neque. Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu,
cursus odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus ornare, ut velit
heads and subheads in a text, and just make them nonummy, quidem vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
in bold, with a line space above and none below, scelerisque tempus vivamus ac. Arcu fermentum nibh, turpis
or two line spaces above and one below according pharetra gravida urna pellentesque vel, mi sodales, justo
to the context. congue pretium lectus condimentum, quisque diam consectetur
We love type size consistency in a book, which is interdum. Aliquam proin et magnis sit augue, nisl in quos odio
eu odio, pellentesque suspendisse nec non pulvinar dui cras,
also more economical since you can set a style sollicitudin at.
page and stick to it.
We try to achieve a typographic composition
that expresses intellectual elegance as opposed to
blatant vulgarity by using typographic devices: a
proper amount of leading for the context, a proper
Title
use of roman or italic type, a regular spacing, a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, in maecenas pharetra gravida
tight kerning, using rulers when appropriate (to ullamcorper neque. Sed hendrerit proin diam duis eu,
cursus odio placerat ultrices adipiscing lectus ornare, ut velit
separate different parts of the message), and a nonummy, quidem vitae turpis enim. Adipiscing a lectus,
logical use of bold, regular and light type weights. scelerisque tempus vivamus ac.
We do not like the use of type as a decorative
element, and we are horrified by any type Arcu fermentum nibh, turpis pharetra gravida urna pellentesque
deformation. There are situations, however, as in vel, mi sodales, justo congue pretium lectus condimentum,
quisque diam consectetur interdum. Aliquam proin et magnis
packaging design where a more flexible attitude sit augue, nisl in quos odio eu odio, pellentesque suspendisse
could provide better results. But even there, when nec non pulvinar dui cras, sollicitudin at.
used, should be with great moderation.
68
Rulers When using rulers I set a hierarchy of weights to
clarify the different parts of the text. In a form, for
instance, bolder rulers (2 pt) will separate major
parts of the text, light rulers (1/2 pt or 1 pt) will
separate items within each part of the form.
In that situation the type between the rulers will
be 8 pt, always set closer to the ruler above.
Type should always hang from the ruler, regardless
of the size. This is another little but important
detail of my Canon.
I have a great love and respect for typography
and I tried to learn as much as possible from all
the great Masters. Most of the things that I have
said have been practiced by the Masters of the XX
Century. The basic rules of typography have been
set long ago but as beautiful scores they have been
played in different ways by many talented artists,
all making a mark and opening a new way with
their interpretations.
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70
Contrasting One of the most exciting elements of typography
Type Sizes for me is the contrast of scale on a printed page.
I love the play between a very large type size for
headlines versus a much smaller type size for the
body text, with proper white space in between.
White space for me is a very important element
in graphic composition. It is really the white that
makes the black sing. White, in typography, is
what space is in Architecture. It is the articulation
of space that gives Architecture the perfect pitch.
Another element is the relationship among type
sizes in the same printed page. Our first rule is to
stick to one or two type sizes at the most.
If necessary, there are other devices such as
bold, light, roman and italic to differentiate
different parts of a text, but even there, stick to
the minimum. Type weights can be used to great
advantage when dedicated to a specific function,
rather than be used for color purposes or even
worse as a phonetic analogy.
Some people who talk loud and tend to scream
trying to persuade you, love to increase the size
and weight of type to make the message louder.
That is exactly what I consider intellectual
vulgarity - something we try to stay away from.
In a world where everybody screams, silence is
noticeable. White space provides the silence.
That is the essence of our typography.
72
Scale The notion of scale is an essential element of the
design vocabulary. In the previous paragraph I
have given some examples of the meaning of scale
in graphic design. Scale is the most appropriate
size of an object in its natural context. However,
it can be manipulated to achieve particular
expression in a particular context - actually
by being purposely out of scale. To master the
notion of scale is a lifelong search that involves
interpretation of functions, both tangible and
intangible, physical, and psychological. Scale
applies to everything. It can be right or it can be
wrong; it can be appropriate or inappropriate; too
big or too small for the task at hand. In design the
issue of scale is continuously present and we have
to master it regardless of the subject because it
doesn’t allow mistakes.
The choice of the proper material, its thickness,
its texture, its color, its weight, its sound, its
temperature - every detail assails our senses
and provokes a response. Therefore, we must be
in control of it because by choosing the most
appropriate one to convey our message we succeed
in our intent. Design means to be in control of
every detail and scale is one of the most relevant
ones. And so is its opposite, when it is deliberately
chosen. An example which comes to mind is
the sculptures by Claus Oldenburg where the
transformation of scale in a particular context
gives power and life to the object.
Manipulation of scale implies knowledge and full
awareness of the meaning of scale.
74
Texture Light is the master of form and texture. It is by
mastering light that we can achieve the expression
of any artifact. The basic qualities of reflection or
absorption of light are the elements to play with
in designing any kind of object. A glass will reveal
its color when light passes through it, or will be
trapped inside of it if the surface has been etched,
engraved, or treated with some texture.
A silver object, when polished, reflects light and
when engraved, will trap the light. Any shiny
surface reflects light, any dull surface absorbs
light, and this is true for any material including
paper. A polished material has completely different
and sometimes opposite connotations from a
matte surface, a wide spectrum ranging from rich
to poor, from opulent to restrained. Texture has
an infinite range of tactile or visual experiences
and it is essential for designers to sharpen their
perception in order to articulate and master the
media. It is through the choice of materials and
their finishes that we articulate the shape of
an object to express its content, to celebrate its
appropriateness, to reveal its soul.
Texture and color in a mutually supporting
dialogue define any creative artifact - anything
waiting for us to decode its inner secrets and
thereby enrich our perception and transfer it
to whatever we choose.
76
Color Most of the time we use color as a Signifier, or as
an Identifier. Generally speaking we do not use
color in a pictorial manner. Therefore, we tend to
prefer a primary palette of Red, Blue, and Yellow.
This may seem restrictive. This doesn’t mean that
we do not like colors or that we are not sensitive to
them.
It merely means that most of the time we like to
use color to convey a specific message, therefore,
we tend to use it more as symbol or as an
identifier. This is particularly true in Corporate
Identity Programs where Chromotype becomes
the Identifier along with the Logotype or other
devices (morphotypes, phonotypes etc.)
We have used the entire spectrum of colors to
express moods, feelings, passions, connotations
and more. Color is a very important element in
the formulation of our projects, but, as we do
with typefaces, we have limited and articulated
our palette to express the message in the clearest
and most understandable way. There are times
for strong primary colors and times for subtle
pastel colors; there are times for just black and
white; and times where rich browns and hearty
colors work more appropriately to the task at
hand. Appropriateness is one of the rules we use in
choosing colors knowing how effective it can be to
use the right color at the right time.
78
Layouts Any kind of publication has different layout Ultimately the most important device is the
requirements. However, it is inevitable that the management of the white space in the layouts.
layouts reflect the interpretation of the designer. It is the white space that makes the layout sing.
Most publications are composed of text, images Bad layouts have no space left for breathing - every
and captions and the task of the designer is to little space covered by a cacophony of type-sizes,
sift through the images to select those which best images, and screaming titles.
portray the essence of the content and possess
the quality of becoming an icon. For literary books the margins follow a different
An icon is an image that expresses its content in set of considerations, ranging from the position
the most memorable way. of the thumbs - when holding the book - to an
overall shape of the text column, or to the need
Once again, in designing any kind of publication of providing space for side notations (either by the
the most helpful device is the grid. author or by the reader). Some considerations are
Once the outside margins are established (I tend practical others are aesthetic. We have designed
to like narrow margins to increase the tension) all kind of books covering a variety of needs and
the basic grid should be devised according to the situations. It is important that proper attention is
nature of the publication: 2, 3 or 4 columns for a given even to small details, such as to design the
book or a brochure, 6 or more, for a newspaper. most appropriate margins for that publication.
Once the number of vertical divisions are decided Every detail is important to achieve the final look
the next step is horizontal divisions which will of a publication.
provide the number of modules per page.
Again 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or more, according to the I have applied these basic rules to an endless list
variety need of the publication. In defining the of publications, from brochures to annual reports,
grid, one has to keep in mind what kind of visual from books to encyclopedias, from magazines to
material will comprise the layout. newspapers, from programs to posters and I still do
For square pictures a square grid may be better it with pretty good results.
than a rectangular one, well suited for rectangular
images. Or, if the publication has a consistent
variety of the two formats, one could design a
double grid accommodating both situations.
Or, otherwise, when appropriate, crop the picture
to follow the grid.
It is important to remember that many devices are
available to make layouts exciting. The purpose of
the grid is to provide consistency to the layouts,
but not necessarily excitement - which will be
provided by the sum of all the elements in the
design. Outlined images, line drawings, and bold
initials, can add sparks to the page as a variety
of other devices. Great designs can be achieved
without the use of the grid, but the grid is a very
80 useful tool to guarantee results.
82
Sequence If sifting the images is the first task in the
process of publication, the sequence of layouts is
definitively the next one.
A publication, whether a magazine, a book,
a brochure, or even a tabloid is a cinematic
object where turning of the pages is an integral
part of the reading experience. A publication is
simultaneously the static experience of a spread
and the cinematic experience of a sequence of
pages. Therefore, we attribute great importance to
this detail of the layout process. We like the layouts
to be forceful. We do not like limpy layouts with
little pictures spreaded around the pages -
some bleeding here, some bleeding there in a
casual way. We tend to like a form of layout that
almost disappears to the eyes of the reader.
We would say that if you see the layout, it is
probably a bad layout!
The book layout we tend to favor is a very simple
format of a page of text beside a picture on a full
bleed page, followed by a full bleed picture spread,
followed by a page with a full bleed picture facing a
white page with a picture - either on the center or
upper right corner.
A simple format gives rewarding results when the
basic sequence is articulated in a way that is not
repetitive. Actually the nature of the publication
will help to overcome the monotony of this
approach. We would rather see this sort of neutral
approach than the obtrusive assault of many
layouts, but, then again, there should be room for
everyone in the creative process.
84
86
Binding One cannot talk about books without discussing
the binding. The binding of a book or a brochure
adds the final touch of quality to the product.
There are several components in a binding and
several choices to make:
Cover If the cover is going to be laminated
with paper you must recommend a calendered
cardboard so that the surface will be smooth. If
the cover is going to be laminated with cloth or
leather a regular chipboard could be sufficient.
Spine The spine could be round or square.
We prefer the square because it gives the book
a sharper look.
Headband This is the finish between the spine
and the book. It exist in many variations and we
like the plain white most.
Endpapers This is the part that connects the
book to its binding and it is usually made with a
stronger paper than the one of the book.
It could be printed in a solid color or have a
pattern or an illustration. In the past very fancy
endpapers were used for this function.
Sandwich Early in my career I developed a type
of book binding that I called “sandwich”. It
consists of a panel of chipboard, or any other
material, on the front and one at the end of the
book glued to the endpapers. The spine is made of
cloth, generally white, with the title hot-stamped
on it. The final look is that of two gray boards
holding a stack of white pages. Hence, the name
sandwich binding. Since then it has become
common, and sometimes the cover is printed,
laminated, and wrapped around the cardboard.
The main reason for this binding is to enable
the book to open flat - which is particularly
convenient in picture books when you have one
88 image across the spread.
Identity and The notion of identity and diversity is a recurrent
Diversity theme in both two and three dimensional design.
In a Corporate Identity Program enough
diversity must be provided to avoid sameness and
to increase attention.
Too much diversity creates fragmentation -
a very common disease of badly designed
communication. Too much identity generates
perceptive redundancy and lack of retention.
Therefore, it is necessary to achieve the proper
balance between those components, or to offer
enough flexibility in any given design solution
to overcome those pitfalls. We like to play with
those elements. We like to design a strong identity
program in which there is enough room to play
appropriateness without loosing identity.
A typical example would be a book series where
the basic identifiers are constant and the specific
illustration changes from cover to cover.
Also, in the design of furniture, we like to involve
the user to define the final look of the object.
In some of the tables we have designed,
changing the relative position of the elements
provides diversity without compromising the
identity of the design.
Identity and diversity - an essential contraposition
to bring life to design.
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White Space I often say that in typography the white space is
more important than the black of the type.
The white space on the printed page is the
correspondent of space in architecture. In both
situations space is what qualifies the context.
Naturally, the organization of information needs
a structure to hold together, but one should not
underestimate the importance of white space to
better define the hierarchy of every component.
White space, non only separates the different parts
of the message but helps to position the message in
the context of the page. Tight margins establish a
tension between text, images and the edges of the
page. Wider margins deflate the tension and bring
about a certain level of serenity to the page.
Tight type setting transforms words into lines just
as loose type settings transform words in to dots.
Decreasing or increasing the letter spacing
(kearning) confers very distinctive character
and expression to the words. All this is space
manipulation and it is this device that is used in
layouts to achieve a desired expression.
The relationship between the size of type and the
space around it is one of the most delicate and
precious elements of a composition. I must say
that the masterful handling of white space on a
printed page is perhaps the most peculiar attribute
of American graphic design. Just like space is the
protagonist in Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture.
Somehow, it relates to the epic grandeur of the
American landscapes.
For many artists white space is the essential element
of the composition. It is the fundamental qualifier
and protagonist of the image. Almost all the great
American graphic designers have used white
space as the significant silence to better hear their
message loud and clear.
Such is indeed the power of the white space.
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A collection Very early on we discovered that modular and I think that this is quite an important aspect of
of experiences standard dimensions offer benefits that are a modus operandi. There are some basic elements,
economical from both cost and meaning points such as size relationship between parts of a given
of view. The use of standard and modular sizes object, that are governed very often by a modular
of paper in the printing industry can achieve relationship ranging, for example, from single to
considerable savings. The standardization of paper double, from one to three, or four or more, but not
sizes in the project we did for the National Park an odd size in between. Also, a disc within a disc
Service economized million of dollars - something will have a diameter half the size of the larger or
we are proud of. a third of it but not an odd, casual size. And that
Standardization related to the size of construction is because there is some universal harmony that
materials can bring significant savings in any three demands those choices.
dimensional project. Odd sizes imply more labor
costs and waste of materials. This process of sifting and selecting extends to
It is imperative that a designer becomes familiar everything around us - colors, textures, materials.
with all these aspects of design and the realization It involves every detail, thickness, width, and
process. It is part of our ethics as well as our design height. Every sense of our body gets involved
vocabulary. Costly solutions can never be a product but it must be processed, analyzed, evaluated,
of good design because economy is at the essence and finally filed in our memory according to our
of the design expression. Economy doesn’t mean personal canon, not in an arbitrary way. Freedom
cheap design. Economy in design is the most of choice can only happen with knowledge and
appropriate and lean solution to every problem. that is an ongoing process that requires structure
Contrived solutions are never good nor long lasting. and determination, not happenstance.
Quality is not necessarily more expensive than
cheap solutions. Good design doesn’t cost more than
bad design. The opposite is quite true, very often.
In the course of a lifetime it’s been possible to
continuously evaluate details covering the whole
spectrum of materials from the diameter of
a pipe, to the texture and color of any material.
This process of observation and selection has
gradually built up an inventory of choices
and feelings eventually leading to a personal
canon - which becomes a recurrent element
of our creative vocabulary.
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Conclusion Throughout our creative lives we have sifted
through everything to select what we thought best.
We sifted through materials to find those for which
we have the closest affinity. We sifted through
colors, textures, typefaces, images, and gradually
we built a vocabulary of materials and experiences
that enable us to express our solutions to given
problems - our interpretations of reality.
It is imperative to develop your own vocabulary of
your own language - a language that attempts to
be as objective as possible, knowing very well that
even objectivity is subjective.
I love systems and despise happenstance.
I love ambiguity because, for me, ambiguity means
plurality of meanings. I love contradiction
because it keeps things moving, preventing them
from assuming a frozen meaning, or becoming a
monument to immobility.
As much as I love things in flux, I love them
within a frame of reference - a consistent
reassurance that at least and at last I am the one
responsible for every detail.
And that is why I love Design.
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